


Stopped

by dreamsxape



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-10
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-05-19 14:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 16,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5970085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsxape/pseuds/dreamsxape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an accident, The Flash loses his leg. He is forced to hang up his superhero suit for good, and go back to being just Barry Allen, the awkward forensic scientist. He, and the rest of Team Flash, must reimagine their life: their life without The Flash.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Barry’s eyes fluttered open, and he saw the familiar white room of the S.T.A.R. Labs infirmary. He could hear someone walking through the room, but he couldn’t see who it was. What happened? What brought him here? Everything seemed to be in a fog. He couldn’t remember anything. He couldn’t feel anything, which probably meant he already healed. But his brain felt like it was floating in his head, like that time he was on morphine when he broke his arm in the tenth grade.

He tried to sit up, but a jolt of pain shot up his back and seemed to radiate through hos body, causing him to groan. 

“Barry!” Caitlin’s familiar voice called, and she rushed to his bedside. “You’re awake.”

He simply groaned in response, still trying to sit up, pain still running through him.  

“Wait! Don’t try to sit up. I’ll lift the bed for you,” she said, pressing the button on the side of the bed, putting him in an upright position. “How are you feeling?”

“Dizzy, kinda foggy” he mumbled. Now that he was upright he was starting to feel a little loopy. At least the pain stopped. So, if he didn’t move, he wouldn’t be in pain. Sweet.

“Sorry about that,” she began, as she changed the fluid bag on his IV. “I made some alterations to a morphine compound, so that your system wouldn’t flush it out so quickly. That’s probably why you feel that way. Are you in any pain?”

Barry shook his head.

Caitlin bit her lip. He had no idea why he was here, did he? If he had any idea recollection he would be freaking out about what had happened. If he weren’t stoned, even if he didn’t remember, he would have at least asked questions about what landed him in the infirmary.

“Barry, do you remember what happened?” Caitlin was staring at him with worried eyes. Barry was too fogged up to even notice her concern.

“Nope,” he said, shaking his head. The last thing he remembered was ordering coffee at Jitters with Iris before they had to work, but even that seemed fuzzy.

Caitlin took a deep breath and looked down at Barry, who was mesmerized by the monitor displaying his heartbeat. At least she finally got the morphine right, so that was one good thing that happened today. She stayed silent for a moment; this was the last moment Barry would know himself to be The Flash, and she wanted to give it to him.

“Barry,” she said softly, trying to get his attention.

“Hmm?” he turned to look at her, his eyes gassy and still a little lost from all the drugs. 

“Barry,” she repeated, before continuing, “You were fighting a metahuman. He was stronger than anything we’ve ever encountered. And you were fighting him and… You… Uhh...” Caitlin lost her words. She took a deep breath, trying to recollect her thoughts. How was she supposed to tell him this? Why wasn’t there an easy way to break his heart? 

“I am so sorry, Barry. I did _everything_ I could,” she whispered, looking down at the blanket on the bed. She couldn’t get herself to tell him. She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t do this to him.

“What are you talking about, Cait?” he slurred, barely being able to comprehend a single word she was saying, let alone understand the full sentences. Damn this was strong stuff.

Caitlin took in another heavy breath, before walking around the bed to Barry’s right side. Carefully, she lifted the blanket and folded it over, exposing his leg.

“Barry, I am _so_ sorry,” she repeated, looking up at Barry, her eyes filling with tears as she waited for his reaction.

Barry suddenly felt completely sober. He still had no memory of what had landed him here, or what metahuman was responsible for all of this. It didn’t matter though. It’s not like he could go back and get him next time or anything like that. None of it mattered because he knew in that moment that he could never be The Flash again.

He knew because three quarters down his thigh, was a stump were his leg was supposed to be.

“Barry, please say something,” Caitlin begged, after a long, brutal silence. But he was still silent. She could feel the weight of the tension in the room on her, feeling like it would crush her chest.

“Please leave,” he said softly, his gaze still fixated on his leg.

“Barry…”

“Please… I need to be alone right now,” he insisted, still refusing to look away.

“Do you want me to get Iris?” She just wanted him to talk to her.

“No… Please just leave,” he asked again, beginning to choke on his words. Caitlin bit her lip, before hesitantly turning around and walking towards the door. When she reached the doorway, she stopped, and turned around. She opened her mouth to apologize one more time, but she knew it would do nothing. She just ruined Barry’s life.


	2. Chapter 2

“Someone should go talk to him,” Cisco said matter-of-factly. “I think you should do it,” he told Caitlin, patting her on the back.   
“Oh, no way! I’m not going in there!” she said sternly.   
The two of them, along with Iris and Joe, were watching him through the window of the S.T.A.R. Labs infirmary. It had been an hour since Caitlin left him there, but he had barely moved an inch. He was still staring at the stump. Occasionally, he would run his fingers along the bandages, or move his other leg, but other than that he didn’t move. He just stared in disbelief.   
“Maybe we should give him some space,” Caitlin suggested. She didn’t want to go in there again, and it seemed like no one else wanted to venture in there either. No one responded to her, but no one was volunteering to go either, they all just stared at their feet, or the window.  
“I’ll go,” Iris chimed in after a long silent. Everyone in the room looked up at her, almost shocked that anyone even offered to be the first talk to him. It was also the first words she spoke since she entered S.T.A.R. Labs and asked, “Is he okay?” Other than that, she was silent up until this very moment.   
Iris had been mostly silent since she heard about the accident the night before. While Barry was in the hospital for his surgery (Caitlin made a few friends there after Barry had a few injuries that were beyond her scope of medical capabilities), Iris only spoke to ask the doctors questions. Even when her father tried to ask her she remained silent. When he got out of surgery at around 4:00 in the morning, IRIS stayed with him while he was transported to S.T.A.R. Labs, and she still stayed quiet. At S.T.A.R. Labs, she only spoke when her father told her to go home and rest for at least a few hours. She wanted to stay with Barry so he had a friend when he woke up. She knew he would need one now more than ever. Unfortunately, her father still made her go home with him, with Caitlin promising her that she’d call once Barry woke up.   
Caitlin kept her promise, and Iris had been at S.T.A.R. Labs since she got the call, silent, watching her best friend’s heart break in front of her.   
“I’ll go,” she repeated, as she began walking towards the door. Every one just watched her.  
Iris pushed the door open carefully. Barry looked up upon hearing the door opening.   
“Iris,” he said gently.  
“Hey, Bear,” she said, softly, walking up to his bedside.   
“Iris,” he said her name again, looking up at her, tears filling his eyes.   
“I know,” she whispered, taking his hand in hers. “I know, Barry, but it’s going to be okay.”  
“How?” he croaked. Iris didn’t know how to respond. Barry just lost the one thing that made him feel like he was worth anything: his ability to run. How exactly was it going to be okay?  
“What am I going to do Iris?” he asked after she didn’t respond. Tears were in her eyes now too.   
“You’re going to get better, first,” she said, her tears beginning to fall. “You’re going to get better, and then we’ll figure it out from there, okay?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” Caitlin said from the doorway, after Barry and Iris had been silent for a few minutes. “It’s uh… I have to change your bandages.” She waited for Barry to respond before coming any closer to him, fairly certain he would kick her out. But she really did need to change his bandaged. She was supposed to half an hour ago, but she didn’t want to completely overwhelm him. She wanted some sort of buffer before he saw her again, thinking that it would soften the blow of the news or something. Like he wouldn't hate her so much after he saw someone else. So she waited for someone to go in first to make sure it was okay. Then she gave them some space, and went in when she was sure nothing would be interrupted. Even then, she was hesitant, scared almost, to go inside. She hoped he wasn't, but she knew that he didn't want to see her. This _was_ her fault, after all. She was the doctor of the group. And though she tried everything she could possibly think of, she should have tried more. She should have found another solution.    
“Okay,” Barry said quietly, almost inaudibly.   
“Okay,” Caitlin said to herself, as she walked over to the supply cabinet. She opened it and began collecting everything she needed in a metal bowl. When she was done, she walked over to Barry’s bedside, and placed the bowl beside him on the bed.   
She picked a pair of scissors up from the bowl, and began to carefully cut the gauze open that was wrapped around Barry’s leg, until she could easily peal it off. She picked up a clean roll of gauze, and placed the dirty one in the bowl.  
“The wound is almost healed,” she observed, as she began wrapping fresh gauze around his leg. “It’s good to know you still have speed healing.” Not that it matters, Caitlin finished in her head. She hoped small talk would get him to talk. She wanted to speak more than three words to him at a time, to talk him through all of this. But she was bad at small talk, and Barry wouldn’t speak if he didn’t want to. So she finished wrapping his leg in silence, and Barry and Iris watched on.   
“You’re all set,” she mumbled, picking up the bowl. She immediately turned around and began walking towards the door. Barry clearly didn’t want her in there. And to be honest, she wasn’t sure how much she could handle being in there much longer.   
“Caitlin, wait,” Barry called after her. She turned around to face him, but not moving forward.   
“Yeah, Barry?”  
“What happened?”   
Caitlin took a deep breath, and walked back to his bedside.   
“Are you sure you’re ready?” she asked for her sake more, not really his. She knew Barry would have to find out about the accident soon enough. She just didn’t want to have to relive it. She was the one who was with Barry in the operating room. Ultimately, it was her decision to amputate. She broke the news to him. She didn’t want to live it again.   
“I have to know,” he assured her, looking up at her. It was the first time he had looked her in the eyes since she broke the news.   
He was obviously scared, so Iris gave his hand a squeeze, reminding him that she was there for him; that everything was going to be okay.   
Caitlin took a deep breath before she began talking. “Like I said, you there was a metahuman and um… I don’t know al the details but…” she paused, trying to recollect her words.   
“A wall collapsed on you while you were trying to fight him off,” Iris chimed in, noticing how uncomfortable Caitlin was. Caitlin flashed her a small smile, as if to say “Thank you.”  
“By the time anyone got there, the building was destroyed,” Caitlin continued. “By he time anyone found you, you were already almost completely healed, which was fine for most of your body. But your right leg… it was completely shattered. Your bones had healed into their own pieces and around chunks of concrete… there was just too much damage. We tried, we really did,” she promised. “I’m so sorry, Barry.”  
Caitlin held her breath, waiting for his expression to change, waiting for him to respond. She wanted him to say something to her. She wanted him to say he wasn’t mad at her, or wasn’t going to hold it against her. She needed to know he didn’t hate her.   
“Barry, please say something,” she begged. Barry opened his mouth, as if to speak, but said nothing. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t even know what he was feeling. He just felt empty. He was no longer The Flash. He had to go back to being Barry Allen, the forensic scientist who worked in a lab. He didn’t even remember what it was like to just have a normal life. Was what he was going back to really normal though? At least before he had two legs. Now he was a cripple with one leg. He was going to be a pathetic, hopeless has-been hero. 


	3. Chapter 3

Iris knocked lightly on the infirmary door as she entered. In one of her hands, she held a tray of coffee, and in the other was a bag from their favorite bakery. She placed the food on the bedside table, pushing last night’s tray of untouched food out of the way.

“You didn’t eat your dinner,” she said.

“Not hungry.”

“How did you sleep?” Barry just shrugged.

Everyone had hoped that Barry would be fine once he got some sleep and some space. Clearly, they were wrong. Iris wondered when her best friend would be fine. At this rate, it was clearly going to be a while.

“Well, I got up breakfast from Layla’s. I was thinking that we could talk over coffee and pastries like we always do,” she said hopefully. She knew he wouldn’t want to talk immediately, but there was a reason Iris was the first person to visit him that morning: she wanted to be there for him the moment he was ready.

Barry just shrugged in response.

Iris let out a heavy, slightly frustrated sigh. Okay, so he wasn’t ready talk about what happened, but he could at least _speak_ to her. Even a “hey how’s it going?” would suffice at this point.

“Scoot over,” she commanded.

“What?”

“You heard me, scoot!” she said again, before climbing on to the bed and squeezing herself next to him.

“What are you doing?” he asked, moving over to give her room on the small bed.

“Getting you to speak,” she said, leaning over to grab the bag from the bedside table, “and eat.” Barry opened his mouth to speak, but Iris immediately interrupted. “And before you try and fight me, know that I’m not leaving until you talk. I am your best friend, and I’m going to be here for you so hush, and eat your Danish,” she said sternly, as she reached into the bag, and pulled out the pastry from the bag, handing it off to Barry.

“Thanks,” he sighed, taking the Danish from her, then taking a small bite of it. He still didn’t have much of an appetite, but he knew Iris wouldn’t stop, so he would at least eat.

“You’re welcome,” she responded, even though she knew he didn’t really care that much. “Alright, now talk.”

“Iris,” he said, with an eye roll.

“Barry, you woke up from surgery 24 hours ago, and you’ve barely said five words. I know this is awful, and I can only imagine how awful you are feeling right now, but you need to talk. At least to me.”

Barry sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

“Please, Bar,” she pleaded, “Just talk to me. At this point, no one exactly expects you to have a full heart-to-heart, but at least have a conversation. You can’t isolate yourself… not at a time like this.”

“I just… I just don’t know what to say, alright? I mean, what am I supposed to say? ‘Yay my leg is chopped off and now I can’t do the one thing that makes me happy’? Please, Iris, tell me what you expect me to say about all of this?”

Iris sighed before speaking. “Honestly, Barry, I just want to know what’s going on in your head. I want to be able to be there for you, and I can’t do that if you don’t talk to me.”

Barry remained silent for a moment. “You really want to know what I’m thinking?”

“Yes!”

“Alright,” he took in a deep breath, trying to figure out exactly what to say to her. “I don’t… I don’t know who I am anymore, really. When I became The Flash, I felt like I was exactly who I was supposed to be for the first time in my life, and now… I’m not The Flash.” Barry was looking down at his hands, which were still holding the Danish, as he spoke. “I mean, I was doing something that mattered, something that I loved, and now it’s just gone… If I’m not the Flash then what am I?”

“Barry, look at me,” Iris said immediately after Barry finished speaking. Barry lazily looked up at her with his eyes, barely even lifting his head. Iris took his face in her hands so that she was looking him directly in the eyes.

“Listen to me, you were never a hero because you were fast, Barry. You were a hero because you are Barry Allen. Maybe you can’t save people from burning buildings, or stop a tornado anymore, but you can still be a hero. You were one before you were struck by lightning, and you will be one now. You aren’t The Flash, you’re Barry Allen, and that means more to me, and anyone who walks through the door of S.T.A.R. Labs, than anything your speed can do. Do you understand me?”

“Yeah,” was all Barry said. He knew she had the best of intentions, but he was just having so much trouble believing her words. Barry looked away from her, but Iris kept her hands on his face. She gently turned his head back to her.

“Listen, I know you don’t believe me right now, but trust me when I tell you that you’ll figure this out. And I’ll be there for you every step of the way,” she promised.

“Look, Iris, I know you’re just trying to help, but I’m really not in the mood for a pep talk, okay? Can was just eat?”

“Fine,” she said, defeated, dropping her hands helplessly.


	4. Chapter 4

Caitlin sat at one of the computers in S.T.A.R. Labs, looking at news stories from the day before. Most of them were about the building falling, and what had happened to The Flash, who was pulled from the rubble, unconscious. They would probably have to do some sort of press release once Barry was healed. Or when he was ready. If he was ever ready.

“You okay?”

Caitlin jumped when she heard Iris’ voice.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said with a small smile.

“No, it’s fine, I just didn’t expect anyone to come in,” she admitted, straightening up her posture.

“So,” Iris said, sitting in the other chair at the desk, before continuing, “Are you okay?”

Caitlin sighed, propping her elbows on the tables, and resting her foreheads on her palms.

“He doesn’t hate you, you know,” Iris told her.

“He should.”

“You did what you had to do, Caitlin. You know that, he knows that, we all know that.”

“I know,” Caitlin said, looking up at Iris. “I just can’t help but feel like I should have tried harder.”

“You tried as hard as you could. Again, you know that.”

“I do.”

“Then stop hating yourself. You saved his life.”

“I know,” Caitlin repeated. “I just wish he could look me in the eyes.”

“Just give him some time. He’s just struggling. But he’s not holding it against you. He knows you did your best. He just doesn’t like the circumstances. I know Barry better than anyone, and I know that he’ll come around. He just needs a little time.”

 

 

That afternoon, Iris sat down to write the update on The Flash her editor had requested earlier. Central City was begging for an update on their hero. As Caitlin had showed her earlier, media outlets were taking the liberty to jumping to their own conclusions. Many of them said that he died, or is in a coma, or paralyzed. No one had guessed he lost a leg. Not that she would write that in the article. Barry made it clear he didn’t want her disclosing his injury. She didn’t want to either. There was still a part of her that was in denial over this whole situation.

As Iris stared at the blank document, she found herself grateful that she was the go-to reporter for all things Flash. She usually didn’t like it, because she didn’t want The Flash to define her career, but today, she was glad she could protect her best friend. She could be the voice Barry wanted out there. And it gave her an excuse to ask how he was doing.

Many days, she hated being the go-to reporter for all things Flash. She didn’t want that to be what defined her career, but she was glad she could write this article. She was glad that she could be the one to set the record straight, and to be Barry’s voice. She knew what he’d want the people of Central City to know.

Her phone buzzed, and a text from her editor popped up on her screen.

“Please hurry with the article! People are asking for it!!!” Crap she really needed to get this written. She shut her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath before opening her eyes, and beginning to type away.

_“As everyone has heard already, Central City’s favorite hero was captured under a crumbling building Tuesday night. After several hours, The Scarlet Speedster was found by emergency responders, and was promptly rushed to the Central City hospital, where he remained overnight to monitor his injuries.”_ Maybe that was stretching the truth a little. They _were_ monitoring him. It was just in an operating room, and the monitoring was a 15-hour surgery that involved rebreaking and setting half his bones and cutting his leg off. That was close enough, right? _“In the morning, he was transferred to a private facility, where he remains monitored as he recovers._

_“Now to answer the question everyone in Central City is dying to have answered: What actually happened to The Flash? Well, even me, The Flash’s go-to reporter, could not get all of the details. He is choosing to keep much of the details private. I was, however, able to get enough information to break our hearts. Due to the severity of his injuries, The Flash is being forced to hang up his suit while he recovers. Doctors informed me that they are unsure of how long this will take._

_“However heartbreaking this news is, remember this while we away the return of our Scarlet Speedster: There is a man behind that mask, and he will still walk among us. He will continue to protect you everyday, no matter what. He may not be able to use his speed just yet, but he is still the hero we all love, and he will act as such. He will still care for and protect every person in Central City as if he were still wearing the suit. Remember that you still have a hero, even if he is no longer wearing a mask.”_

It may have been short, but it was enough to post online. She would add more to it as “updates” came in about The Flash’s condition, but for now, she that was all she could handle. Her heart was aching for Barry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter isn't amazing school is killing me and I was in a rush to put it out. Hope you guys like it!


	5. Chapter 5

“Okay, Barry, just take it easy, son,” Joe assured Barry, as he struggled to lift himself up with crutches. Up until this point, they were using a wheeling desk chair to get Barry around S.T.A.R. Labs, which wasn’t ideal, but it was all they could do until they could get their hands on a wheel chair. But now that they had crutches, Barry needed to start standing and trying to balance on his own, even start taking a few steps. It was proving to be much harder than anticipated.

The second he stood up, Barry almost fell over. He knew it would be difficult to adjust to balance on one leg, but he completely forgot about the fact that his weight distribution would be different. Luckily, Joe and Caitlin were there to catch him before he could hit the floor.

“Shit,” he muttered, as he struggled to regain his balance.

“Careful, Barry,” Caitlin warned, as she helped lift him into a standing position. Barry carefully adjusted the crutches under his arms, still struggling to balance.

“How does it feel?” Joe asked, still bracing for Barry to fall again.

 _Like I don’t have a leg_ he wanted to say, but instead he just went “Fine.”

“Trust me, Barry, you’ll adjust to it,” Caitlin assured him. “It’ll only get easier from here.” For some reason, Barry had trouble believing her.

They didn’t do much with the crutches after that. He did a few laps around the room, but that was it. It was tiring, and weird. According to Caitlin, he did a lot better than expected, so he shouldn’t worry, but Barry still did. It was slow, and dragging and annoying. Maybe he would eventually learn to speed crutch, since he still had his speed. But clearly that day was not today. He needed to make it across the room first.

Eventually, after Barry had laid back in bed, Caitlin left, leaving him and Joe behind.

“So tell me, how are you really feeling?” Joe asked, in his “take no crap” voice.

“Like shit. But hey, now at least I don’t need help every time I need to pee,” he said with an eye roll.

“That’s fair.”

“You’re not going to tell me that it’ll all get better?” Barry joked, because that’s all he was hearing all day.

“You don’t want to hear that. You want to say ‘This sucks,’ and for someone to say ‘yeah, it really does’ back, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this really does suck,” Joe said, laughing lightly.

“Thank you,” Barry said, laughing for the first time since he woke up.

 

“Cisco, what on Earth are you doing in here?” Caitlin cried.

“Working,” he responded, refusing to look up from his workbench, that was currently covered in bits and pieces of metal and god knows what else.

“Well, maybe you should take a break and see Barry? It’s been three days since his surgery, and you’ve barely seen him. He could use you right now, you know/”

“I can’t, I’m busy,” he said, still tinkering.

“Busy with what exactly?” Caitlin inquired, unsure if she actually wanted to know what Cisco had set his mind to.

“I’m making a leg for Barry.”

“A leg?”

“Yes. There was an Olympic athlete a while back who used a carbon-fiber-enforced polymer based prosthetic. It was specifically designed for running,” he began, then finally turned around. “I figured, I could take that technology, and adjust it to work with Barry’s speed, then BAM! He can run again!”

Caitlin sighed. He knew he was just helping Barry in the only way he knew how, but Barry needed to accept the fact he couldn’t run. And he couldn’t do that if Cisco didn’t accept it either.

“Those polymers can’t handle the speeds that Barry runs.”

“Caitlin, do you not know me at all? I can work on that!” he insisted, turning back to his work.

“Cisco, please stop this. Just go see Barry.”

“I will, once I finish this.”

“You know this is going to take a long time. Please just go talk to him. You’re one of his best friends. He needs you right now.”

“Like I said, I’ll go when I finish,” he said again, growing frustrated.

“Cisco, please.”

“Caitlin!” he barked. “I will go when I’m finished!”

Caitlin sighed heavily, before walking out. This was going to be hard on everyone. Not just Barry, clearly.


	6. Chapter 6

_Caitlin watched Dr. Gerlin’s hands as they attempted to work around Barry’s leg, sifting through cement chunks and other debris. It was a mess of muscle and bone, unlike anything anyone in that room had ever seen. Half of it was healed in an intangible way. The second Dr. Gerlin saw it, he knew he wouldn’t be able to save it. With the amount of damage, and Barry healing faster than they could fix anything, there was really very little any of them could do. But he and Caitlin would try. They had to say they tried._

_Dr. Gerlin let out a heavy sigh, handing his tools off to a nurse. Then, he looked up at Caitlin, giving her an apologetic look behind his surgical mask._

_“You can’t save it, can you?” Caitlin asked, even though she knew the answer all along. Dr. Gerlin shook his head._

_“There’s just too much damage… it’s just… impossible,” he said, remorsefully. “I think it’s time to talk to the family.”_

_“Okay,” she said, before leaving the room._

_The walk to the hospital waiting room was the longest she’s ever had to make. She felt sick. They had held off on telling them anything until they were 100% certain. The last few hours must have been miserable for them._

_When she arrived, she saw Joe, Iris, and Cisco, the typical crowd. Oliver Queen was also there. Someone must have called him. He and Barry_ were _friends after all. Barry would want to know if something happened to him._

_“Please tell me he’s okay,” Joe said, once Caitlin approached the group. Everyone stood up at once, crowding around her._

_Caitlin paused to compose herself before responding, trying to find the right words._

_“Caitlin, what’s going on?” Iris inquired._

_Caitlin took another deep breath. “Dr. Gerlin has to amputate his right leg above the knee.” The words tasted bitter on her tongue, and they struggled to get out of her throat. They weren’t meant to be said._

_“No, that can’t be,” Iris was the first to speak after a short silence. “Shouldn’t his leg just speed heal back into place?”_

_“It’s not that simple. He leg was crushed. By the time we got to him, his bone fragments were already healing separately, and there’s no way to fuse them back together. I mean, there was a chunk of concrete that his bone_ healed _around. There’s just no way to fix that.” Her heard sank further with every word._

_“But… he’s The Flash,” Cisco stated, “he needs his leg.”_

_“I know,” Caitlin said, looking down at her feet. “I know.”_

The memory replayed in Caitlin’s head over and over again. Like a broken record. She couldn’t get the image of their faces out of her head. Their heartbreak, their worry, all written on their faces. She couldn’t stop remembering it. She wanted it so desperately to stop.

 

* * *

 

 

“A little birdie told me that I’m going to have to take a few extra trips to save Central City?” Barry turned to see Oliver Queen standing in the doorway with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“Flowers? Aww I’m flattered. But you’re not really my type,” Barry joked.

“Funny,” he said, rolling his eyes, “They’re from Felicity. She wanted me to profusely apologize for not being able to make it today, but she’ll stop by tomorrow.”

“Well, tell her I said thank you,” Barry said, still laughing at his own joke.

“How you feeling?” Oliver asked, walking up to the bed, and placing the flowers on the bedside table.

“I’ve seen better days,” he said with a shrug, “But, on the plus side, I finally have a scar that can compete with yours.”

“Pssh, you wish Allen.”

“You’re just glad you don’t have anymore competition,” Barry retorted sarcastically.

“Oliver!” Iris exclaimed, walking into the room, not giving Oliver a change to respond to Barry’s snide remark.

“Hey, Iris! No surprise seeing you here,” Oliver said, shooting Barry a smirk.

“She hasn’t left my side yet,” Barry said, smiling fondly.

“You’re hilarious if you think I will,” she stated, as she gave Oliver a “hello” hug. “How have you been?”

“Pretty good. Nothing special.”

“How’s the engagement going? Anything new on the wedding planning front?” Iris inquired, desperate to know all the details.

“It’s going well. Though I have to admit, I know absolutely nothing about the wedding planning. Felicity and my sister are working through all of that,” Oliver said with a laugh. “Quite frankly, if she’s happy, that’s all that matters to me.”

“Well,” Barry began, “I’m happy for you. You really do deserve it, man.”

The three continued to talk in the room for who knows how long, catching up on each other’s lives, and laughing their asses off. And for the first time in the week since the accident, Barry felt okay.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter isn't amazing, I'm sorry. The last two weeks have been kind of crazy, and I haven't had much of a chance to truly edit the chapter like I usually do, so I apologize. Feel free to leave a comment anyways! Hope you all are enjoying it so far!


	7. Chapter 7

After another few days in the S.T.A.R. Labs infirmary, Barry was finally able to go home. Iris decided to work from home for the time being so that she could take care of Barry. Joe tried to convince Iris that he takes off instead, but she wouldn’t budge. She told him that someone needed to be protecting the city while The Flash was out of commission. Barry tried to convince Iris that he didn’t need taking care of, but she obviously wasn’t going to listen.

Since Barry couldn’t go back to work yet, most of his days were being spent in bed. He would occasionally get up to do physical therapy, or try get better adjusted on the crutches, but that was about it. Though Barry hated it, Iris was catering to his every need. She would stay with him throughout the whole day, in case he needed anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t like spending time with her, he just couldn’t help but feel like he was imposing on her, and he made that very clear. Iris also made it very clear that she wasn’t leaving his side, and that she enjoyed spending the time with him, and he couldn’t really protest to that. Though he may have still hated the circumstances, he liked spending his days with Iris, watching Netflix, or helping her with her latest article. It was like old times. Before the two of them got busy with life. It was almost like they were catching up on their friendship. And sometimes that went into the wee hours of the night, and they would fall asleep watching some crappy old movie, just like they did last night.

“Morning,” Barry said, looking over from his phone, already awake when Iris arose.

“Morning,” she said lazily. “How long have you been up?”

“Like, fifteen minutes.”

“Did you sleep alright?” she asked him, sitting up in the bed.

“Meh,” he said with a shrug.

“How’s the leg?” she asked, knowing that was causing his sleeping troubles, per usual.

“It’s alright. The phantom pains are messing me up.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, giving him an apologetic look. “How long are those supposed to last for?”

“It varies from person to person. They’ll stop when they stop, according to the internet,” he explained with a dry laugh.

“Did you do your stretches yet?” Iris inquired. Barry was supposed to stretch every morning and “massage” his stump to prevent scar tissue building up, which he really hated doing. Massaging his leg was probably his least favorite part of his whole process.

“I stretched. I haven’t done the massage yet,” he said, putting a fake French accent on the work “massage.” Iris rolled her eyes. She would get him to do it later.

“Do you want coffee?” she asked.

“Oooh yes please! How about this, you put the coffee on, and I’ll meet you downstairs in five?”

“Barry, you know I can bring you coffee and breakfast upstairs, right?”

“Yeah, but I can make it down on my own. And plus, I need practice on the stairs.”

“Are you sure, you just woke up?” Iris asked, unsure if she should let him.

“Iris, I’m literally bound to this bed, I want to get up and move around a little. Let me have a cup of coffee down stairs.”

“Fine,” Iris said rolling her eyes, “But please be careful, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I’ll be fine, I promise.”

He wasn’t fine. He almost wiped out on the stairs. 

* * *

 

After breakfast, the two of them went back to Barry’s room, and sat in his bed. They put on some British sitcom on Netflix, and let it play as background noise.

“Now, before you forget, you have to massage your leg,” Iris reminded him. Barry made a face in response. “I know it’s not comfortable, but you have to do it. I’ll even do it for you.”

“Ew, don’t do it for me.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s gross. And plus, I’m not going to make you do something just becase I don’t want to do it.”

“I really don’t mind. And plus, will you do it yourself?” Barry didn’t respond. “Exactly.”

“But it’s so uncomfortable,” he whined.

“Get over it,” Iris said, rolling her eyes. Before Barry could respond, she repositioned herself so that she was kneeling in front of him.

“Iris, don’t,” he insisted.

“Stop it. I’m doing this,” she told him, as she moved the blanket out of the way, exposing his leg. She slowly began massaging his leg with her fingers. Barry almost immediately winced.

“You’re hands are so cold!”

“Get over it,” she repeated, smirking up at him, as she continued to work her hands on his skin. She could tell by the look on his face that he found this uncomfortable, but she couldn’t seem to look away. She just watched his face as her hands massaged his leg. Eventually, his face softened, and he was looking at her with a gentle smile on his face. She hadn’t seen him smile at her in so long. It was nice to finally see it.

When she was done, she slowly removed her hands from his leg, and she was about to return to her position on the bed next to him, but he grabbed her hands, stopping her.

“Iris,” he said softly.

“Hmm?”

“Thank you… for everything you’ve done over the last few weeks for me,” he said genuinely.

“Of course, Bear.”

“It really does mean a lot to me. I don’t know what I would have done without you through all of this. I know I haven’t been the easiest of people to be around lately, so thank you. Seriously.”

Iris smiled, bringing her hand to his cheek. “You really don’t need to thank me, okay? You know I’d do anything for you.”

“I know,” he said, taking her hand off his cheek, and holding it in his lap. “But I’m still grateful for it.”

“Aww, come here,” she said, opening her arms for a hug. They leaned into each other for an embrace.

“I love you, Iris,” he whispered, hopefully she didn’t catch his double meaning.

“I love you too, Bear,” she said back, hoping he didn’t catch her double meaning.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day, Barry’s wheelchair finally came in. It was sort of a saving grace for him. Though he wouldn’t be able to go to work yet, he would still be a little more mobile; maybe he could even start going out every so often. Mostly, it got moving around the house much easier, and made him a little more independant. He didn’t need everyone to carry everything for him, since he could just put things in his lap. No one had to follow him every time he went somewhere in fear of him falling. It also just made the process of him getting somewhere faster. Even though he was starting to get pretty fast on the crutches (speed crutching could actually be a thing if they weren’t so easy to fall on), it was still much easier in the chair.

  
“Alright, the final season of Parks and Rec is finally on Netflix, I say we binge on that today?” she suggested, sitting on the couch as Barry wheeled over to the living room.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” he said, attempting to control the direction of the wheelchair. This was going to an adjustment. “Maybe I’ll be able to be popping wheelies soon,” Barry joked when he finally got the chair into a decent position to get himself on the couch. He noticed her ever so slightly rolling her eyes as he locked the wheels into place.

“You know,” she began, as she booted up the TV, “I hate to admit it, but I’m going to miss this when I go back to work.”

“What, hearing me complain all day?” he inquired with a smirk. He carefully lifted himself off the chair, and onto the couch next to Iris.

“No,” she said, slapping his chest lightly with the back of her hand.

“Ow!” Barry cried dramatically, “Way to injure a cripple!”

“Shut up! I meant, I like spending time with you, and think about it, when was the last time you and I have hung out this much?”

“High school,” Barry said, matter-of-factly.

“Exactly. And once you became The Flash, every time you and I hung out, it had to do with The Flash. It hasn’t been just you and me in such a long time. I kind of missed it.”

“I’m going to miss it too, honestly… Too bad I had to lose a leg to get us hanging out again,” he joked.

Iris slapped him on the chest again.

“Damn! Seriously? Stop picking on the cripple!”

“I’ll stop picking on the cripple when the cripple stops being an idiot,” Iris said, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.

“I have to use all my brainpower to balance. It’s not my fault there’s nothing left at the end of the day.”

“Stop being a smartass,” Iris told him, rolling her eyes.

“You love me.”

“Sure,” she mumbled, ready to start ignoring him.

“You love me and you know it.”

Iris frowned and looked up at him. “Yeah, I do,” she said, as if she didn’t want to say it.

“I knew it!” Barry responded proudly. Iris just rolled her eyes again.

“Just put on the show,” Iris commanded, handing him the remote.

“Ugh, I have to do everything in this house.”

“Oh get over it, Allen.”

* * *

 

The next day, Barry was back at S.T.A.R. Labs for an “appointment” with Caitlin. He was still going every few days, Caitlin insisting on keeping a close eye on his healing process.

 

“The bone is healing nicely,” Caitlin said, looking at his x-rays. “Next week we may even be able to fit you for a prosthetic.”

“Yay! I’ll be able to walk again,” Barry said sarcastically.

Caitlin took a deep breath before speaking. “Barry, you realize it takes most people months before they can get fitted for prosthetics, or even consider them?”

“Yeah, well, most people aren’t superheroes.”

“It’s not like you’re not helping people being a forensic scientist.”

Barry didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say without sounding redundant. It was the same conversation every time, and he didn’t want to have it anymore, and clearly no one else did. He wanted to be left alone about all of it.

“Either way, you’re leg is doing really well.”

“So I don’t need another x-ray for a while?” he asked hopefully. He liked seeing Caitlin, but he didn’t want to only be seeing her as his doctor. They were friends before all of this.

“If you’re asking if you don’t have to come back in three days, the answer is no,” she told him sternly. Barry made a face of disapproval.

“Still coming in,” she said shrugging her shoulders.

“Fine,” he said, his face of disapproval still on.

Caitlin turned around to take Barry’s x-ray off the light, the light tapping of her shoes being the only sound in the room.

“Hey, have you heard anything from Cisco lately?” Barry asked, breaking the silence that had grown stiff. “He hasn’t really been around the last two weeks, and everytime I try to talk to him, he kind of just… ignores me.”

“I haven’t really talked to him,” Caitlin said apologetically, as she walked back over to Barry’s side. She had seen him roaming around S.T.A.R. Labs working on that leg, but they rarely exchanged words.

“I mean, is he okay?”

“I don’t know… It’s hard to tell with him sometimes… I think he just wishes there was something he could do, you know? You know how he gets when one of his gadgets fails or he messes something up. And I think he feels that if he couldn’t help you that he doesn’t know how to approach you unless he finds some sort of solution. And he can’t really create a solution to this so he just kind of… shuts down.”

“Why does he think he needs to fix this?”

“He’s a scientist, just like you and me, that’s what we do, we search for solutions. If he can’t prevent it, he wants to fix it.” Caitlin decided not to tell Barry what Cisco was up to, not wanting to get his hopes up. She would fight to insist that Cisco could not come up with a solution. If Barry knew anything about the leg Cisco was building, Barry would for sure rely on that as a solution, and then be heartbroken when it didn’t work.

“So he thinks he should have prevented this somehow?”

“I don’t know,” Caitlin admitted.

“I mean, what could he have done? It’s not like he can engineer something that would prevent walls from falling over,” Barry continued, more to himself than anything. He wasn’t really talking to Caitlin at this point, he was more thinking out loud. He and Cisco were best friends, and it was weird having him be so distant. He just wanted to understand what was going through his head.


	9. Chapter 9

Three days later, Barry was back at S.T.A.R. Labs to see Caitlin again. It was a short appointment, they just looked at his x-rays, and decided to start discussing prosthetics next time he came in. However, the topic of Cisco quickly came up again. Barry had been trying to get in contact with him for days, but was getting nothing in return   
  
"I really don't know what to do at this point," Barry said with a shrug, "I've tried everything. I've called, I've texted, I've had Iris try and talk to him. I even sent him a twitter message, and he hasn't responded to anything. I almost feel like I should be worried for his safety at this point. I mean, what if he's dead in a ditch and that's why he's not responding?"

"He's not dead. I saw him come in this morning. He's here every day all day. Yesterday, he came in at 6:00 in the morning, and didn't leave until 10:00. I checked the access logs, he barely moved all day," Caitlin told him.

"What is he doing here all day?"

"I don't know," Caitlin lied, yet again. She felt horrible keeping this from Barry, but she knew she would feel even worse if Barry got his hopes up for nothing. There was no telling if Cisco could make the prosthetic. And if he could, who knew what other complications would come into play? The prosthetics Cisco was basing his research on were for below the knee amputees, not above like Barry's. And could the prosthetic even stay on at suck high speeds? There were too many variables for Caitlin to trust. So she would like to her friend.

"Is he here now?"

"He was when you got here. He probably still is," she said with a small shrug.

"Well then, I'm going to go talk to him," Barry said matter-of-factly. "Is he still in hhis toolbox?" The toolbox is what they called Cisco's workspace where he made all of his gadgets and gizmos. He had everything any one could possibly need to make something, like a toolbox on steroids. Cisco called it the toolbox one day, and for whatever reason, it stuck.

"No, don't!" Caitlin exclaimed, causing Barry to jump slightly. What was she so nervous about?  
"I just..." Caitlin began again, "I'll call him up. Who knows what you could hurt yourself on down there."

"Will he actually come up?" he pointed out, as he lifted himself off of the exam table and into his wheelchair.

Caitlin just shrugged as she picked up the phone and dialed the extension. She waited patiently with the phone to her ear as it rang.

"Hi! Cisco!" she said a few moments later. Barry was listened carefully, hoping Caitlin would convince him to come up. "Yeah, can you come up here for a minute?... I have something to show you... No, I think it will really help you... Yes it has to be now. I'm going home soon... Alright, thank you! I'll see you in a few." Caitlin hung up the phone and turned to Barry, giving him a prideful smile. "He'll be right up," she said proudly.

"Thanks, Caitlin," he said appreciatively.

 

* * *

 

Softly after, Cisco arrived in the infirmary, the first words out of his mouth being "Seriously?"

Caitlin just shrugged and put her hands in the air defensively, playing dumb.

Cisco let out an annoyed sigh in response.

"Don't give me that," Caitlin said sternly. "Barry wanted me to bring you up here."

Barry shot Caitlin a glare. Even though she was right, why did he have to take all the blame?

"Did you really?" Cisco inquired, annoyance still in his voice. He really didn't want to see Barry until the prosthetic was ready. He didn't want to face him until he had a solution. Caitlin knew this, so why did she bring him up here?

"I just wanted to know what's been going on with you," Barry said, wheeling over so that he was in front of Cisco. "You've barely been around since the accident. It's been almost a month..."

"Nothing's been going on," Cisco shrugged.

"Really? Because you're the last person to turn down a game of Mortal Combat and I've offered you to play at least three times. It's beginning to sound like you're ignoring me."

"I've been busy."

"With what? It's not like there's anything left at S.T.A.R. Labs for you to work on..." It was kind of a low blow, but everyone knew that Barry was right.

"You know what," Caitlin chimed "I'm going to head out. I have some house work to get done, so I'll see you guys later." She really didn't want to be in the room for this conversation. She didn't want to see any of the fall out between her two friends. And plus, this wasn't her conversation to have. This was between Barry and Cisco, not her. She quickly left the room when the two of them gave her no response, they were just staring at each other, their tension filling the room.

"Seriously, what's been going on with you?" Barry asked again, after Caitlin had left.

Cisco simply shrugged again.

"Do you feel guilty over what happened or something?" Barry asked, almost desperately.

"Of course I feel guilty," Cisco said, as if it were obvious, like Barry asked if there were seven continents on the Earth, or if Hitler was a Nazi.

"But why?"

"Team Flash is there to protect you," Cisco began, "And that day, we didn't. I should have been keeping a better eye out for you."

"Honestly, though, Cisco, what actually could have you done differently? There was no way anyone would know that a wall would fall. You couldn't have guessed that I wouldn't have seen it in time to move out of the way. There was nothing you could do that would have prevented that wall from crushing my leg. You did everything you could, like you did every other time. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

"But you're still not The Flash," Cisco mumbled, his eyes momentarily darting down to Barry's leg.

"No, I'm not," Barry said. "And that sucks, and I'm pretty miserable because of it. I mean, I think Iris would do anything for me to stop complaining."

The comment cause Cisco to let out a single laugh. Barry smiled. The tension in the room was clearing. They were getting somewhere.

"Look," Barry continued, "My point is, I'm not The Flash anymore, but I don't blame you. Or anyone for that matter. I hate my situation, not my friends."

Cisco remained silent, unsure of how to respond.

"And dude, you really can't ignore me, because without you, who's gonna be you're wingman?" Barry joked, hoping that would get a laugh. It did.

"Ouch!" Cisco cried dramatically. "And excuse you, you're going to need a wingman more than me, gimpy."

Barry rolled his eyes and laughed at his friend. They were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like the new chapter! Please let me know what you think! If there's anything you want to see more of or anything like that, feel free to let me know as well!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! New chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it because I'm having a lot of fun writing this and yeah... let me know what you all think! Your comments and kudos make me smile!

  
Barry was getting used to his life with one leg, but one thing he couldn't seem to get the hand of was showering. Since the wheelchair was kept downstairs, if he wanted to shower, he would have to crutch himself into the bathroom, and hobble himself into the shower. He had a shower seat, making the actual act of showering easy, however, it was getting out of the shower that was the hard part. Turns out, trying to hop out of a shower while sopping wet is not the easiest thing on the planet. Then there was the problem of reaching for the towel... yeah not so easy either. There was a lot of falling and slipping while butt ass naked involved in showering now.   
But he was getting used to it all. He wouldn't say things were getting easier, but rather they were becoming more predictable, and he was beginning to learn what to do in anticipation of a disaster. Well, with the exception of showering of course. And that's what he told Cisco during his next visit to S.T.A.R. Labs.

"So, this whole thing is really just you falling a lot?" Cisco questioned in a mocking tone. Caitlin, who was working towards getting the prosthetic on Barry's leg, was pretending not to listen, even though she analyzed every word, wanting to make sure that Cisco didn't say anything to Barry about his project.

"Yeah, pretty much," Barry said.

"And your speed wasn't effected by any of this?"

"Well," Caitlin began, without giving Barry a change to answer. "Likely, he's a little out of shape since he hasn't exactly been running lately, but the speed force appears to still be in his system just as it was before." Caitlin gave Cisco a warning glare, before she went back to work on Barry's leg.

"So pretty much, if I can balance myself well enough, I can hop on one foot at insane speeds," Barry joked.

Caitlin rolled her eyes as she secured the prosthetic on Barry's leg.

"Maybe if you train yourself to, you can jump to crazy height or something! That would be awesome," he exclaimed, changing into a high pitched sing-song voice at his last word.

"Oh god," Barry laughed. "Yeah, Central City could have a new hero: The Pogo Stick," he finished, flashing his hands in the air, as one would to describe their name in lights.

"Barry you need to stop moving, or I won't be able to tell if this fits you properly," Caitlin said sternly, interrupting Barry laughing at his own [bad] joke.

"Sorry Caitlin," he said, giving her innocent eyes.

Caitlin just rolled her eyes again, as she bent the leg at the knee.

"Maybe I can make a super sonic pogo stick for you," Cisco joked, then perked up. "Wait, I should sell that. Can you imagine how much I would make during Christmas season?"

Caitlin and Barry laughed at him. The things that went through that kid's head sometimes were absurd.

"Yeah, I don't think parents would really want their kids jumping a hundred feet in the air," Barry pointed out.

"Maybe, but the kids who get them would be the coolest kids on the block!"

"They might also be the most dead kids on the block," Barry told him.

"Why you gotta kill my dreams?"

"Because your dreams kill children, Cisco," Caitlin said, as she stood up. "There you go, Barry. You should be all set. How does it feel?"

Before speaking, Barry propped his hands on the exam table, ready to jump off, but Caitlin promptly interrupted. "Don't try to stand yet. I just want to know how it feels."

Barry slumped over, frowning slightly, like a small child who was just told he had to eat his vegetables before getting his ice cream.

"How does it feel?" Caitlin repeated, ignoring his childish reaction.

Barry shrugged. "Heavy."

"Well, it should. You're not used to having weight on your leg, and prosthetics are heavy in general," she explained. "You'll adjust to it soon enough."

"Can I walk now?" Barry asked impatiently, barely giving Caitlin a chance to breath before he opened his mouth.

"Hold on," she stated, before walking over to the other side of the room, where a cane was resting against the wall. She swiftly took it in her hands and brought it over.

"Use this," she commanded. "And don't you dare even think about trying to run."

Barry rolled his eyes, even though he was absolutely thinking about just breaking into a sprint the second he stepped down.

"Now please be careful. And don't push yourself too hard. Walking on a prosthetic for the first time is extremely difficult... even for a super hero." Barry took the cane from Caitlin, who was apprehensive about letting it go.

He carefully slid off the exam table, making sure to land on his actual leg. When he was sure he had his balance, he firmly placed the cane on the ground. Caitlin extended her elbow for extra support if he needed, which he gladly took. Slowly and carefully, Barry slowly began to put weight on his leg for the first time in a month.

Barry groaned loudly. Caitlin told him it might be painful, as there was a lot of scar tissue around the stump, as well as bone that is not meant to have pressure on it be carrying the weight of his body. But Barry didn't expect it to be that painful.

"Are you okay, Barry?" she asked, concerned. "You don't have to keep going if you don't want to."

Barry shook his head, as he lifted his fake leg, and brought it forward, attempting to take his first step. He was going to do this today. He waited long enough for this, and he wasn't going to wait any longer. The prosthetic was heavy, making it surprisingly difficult to maneuver. The supports that held it on pinched at his skin as he moved--chaffing was definitely going to be a problem in the future. And he wasn't sure how the knee would actually bend. It's not like he could control any of it. It was hard, and it was already annoying, and he couldn't help but feel like a baby learning how to walk.

He carefully put "his" foot on the ground, slowly putting weight on it, immediately almost falling over. He would have been sprawled on the ground had Caitlin not caught him.

"It's a work in progress," Caitlin said immediately, forcing a small smile. "It'll take a lot of time getting used to, but you'll get there. Don't worry." She knew that he would, though. She knew that he was going to take it hard that he couldn't even take one step. All she could do for now was offer him support and hope he could be patient.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in less than 24 hours?! Yeah, I've been stuck in an airport for like 20 hours at this point, so I've been productive haha   
> Anyways! I loved all the responses I got from the last chapter so please keep it up! They make my life! And a few people were asking about more westallen moments, there is a few to come! Either way, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to let me know what you think/if there's anything you want to see in future chapters!

Crime rates were beginning to slowly rise in Central City. The Flash had disappeared for a month and a half now and everyone was taking notice. Currently, it was mostly still petty crimes, but criminals were escalating. They were testing how much they could get away with before The Flash returned. They were wondering how bad they could get before The Flash came out of hiding. Or was he gone for good?

This was causing panic to slowly make it's way into every corner of the city. Homes and stores were getting robbed. People were getting assaulted and even killed. The inner criminal was coming out of everyone, and no one could stop them. The CCPD couldn't keep up, and The Flash wasn't coming to save anyone.

It was also causing journalists to insane. Between all the stories to write about victims of senseless crimes, they were also hunting for the answer to the question everyone was asking: What happened to The Flash? No one knew. Everyone had their theories, but no one knew the truth. Every few days, a new rumor would surface about him, talking about how he was training in a secret location, or that he somehow lost his speed. The most popular believe was slowly becoming that he had died. Why else would he be taking so long to say something? He's made public appearances before, so it wasn't like it was out of character for him to make a public appearance. The most logical conclusion was that he died in that building collapse. Did Central City officially lose their beloved hero?

The truth was, no, they hadn't, and Iris knew that. Every time someone brought up some crazy theory, she just wanted to scream. She wanted desperately to write about the truth, to tell the people what had actually happened that day. But she couldn't; Barry didn't want her to. He said that he would rather everyone think he was dead than know he couldn't do anything to help them. It didn't exactly make sense to Iris, but she wouldn't go against his wished. He needed to process all of this in his own way, and if people thinking he was dead would help him cope, she wasn't going to question it.

"West!" her editor barked, causing her to jump in her chair.

"Yes?" she replied, faking a smile as she turned her chair around.

"Why is that document empty?" he asked, pointing to her computer screen.

"I haven't been given an assignment," she said bluntly, not bothering to hide her bitterness.

"You did, though. Remember, you need to get an exclusive on The Flash?"

"I remember, I'm just not writing it."

"Why not? It's not like you don't have sources. You know how to get in touch with everyone he works with. You've gotten exclusives with them before. Get them again!"

"I told you I won't write about The Flash until he, or his team, decides to make a public statement."

"Well, that's poor journalism," her editor spat.

"Maybe, but if The Flash really did die, then his death should be announced when those close to him feel ready. And if he's not, there must be a reason it wasn't made public."

"Your point? You're a journalist. Your job is to make things public that people don't want public."

"My job is to uncover the truth if it will help people. The truth about The Flash won't help people," Iris firmly stated.

"I don't care. I want that exclusive. I want it last week. Hurry up," he spat, before turning on his heals and walking away.

Iris sighed heavily as she turned back around to face her computer. What could she say? She promised Barry she wouldn't write anything, and she refused to write anything that wasn't the truth. But she knew she would get in trouble--lots of trouble--if she didn't write anything. Was protecting her best friend more important than her job? Hell yes it was.

So she began typing away at her article. Her article about The Corner Bookstore being reopened after it was burned to the ground two months ago. And her editor could go fuck himself.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's the next update! I've had so much time the last few days, so the updates have been frequent. I'm back in school, so I'm not 100% sure if there will be another update this week, but we'll see! I also cried like a baby writing this and the woman sitting near me on the airplane was totally judging me so that was fun. I hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Comments and kudos are always welcome! As always, let me know if there is anything you want to see more of!

After two month, Barry was finally able to return to work. Truthfully, he could have gone back much sooner, but he had to pretend to the world that he didn't have speed healing super powers, and Caitlin said that normal people who have their leg amputated would never go back to work less than two months after surgery. She also said he wasn't allowed to go on his prosthetic, which he actually agreed with. Though it was getting easier, he was still having trouble walking longer distances on it, and he had yet to even attempt to climb stairs (obviously Caitlin's idea as well). There was no way he would be able to survive on it at work, even if he was only going for half the day. 

 

He expected the first day back to be easy. It was in some aspects. He didn't do very much work; no one wanted him to overdo it on his first day back, and they had brought in a temp to work while he was gone, so she was doing most of the work for him. The problem was that he physically couldn't do a lot of the work. The lab, like most science labs, are built for people to work in the standing position, with raised benches and tall chairs, making it difficult for someone in a wheelchair to really work on one. The chief said that they were getting lower work benches for him soon, which unfortunately didn't help Barry much on his first day.   

 

He ended up pushing himself around on a wheeling lab chair. When he needed to move, he would use his leg to maneuver himself around, and he would balance on one leg when he needed to stand. It wasn't ideal, nor was it easy, but it was the best he could do for the time being. And it was finally something other than sitting around his house or getting x-rayed. 

 

By the time he got home, however, he had completely drained himself. Hopping around and standing had been a lot more exhausting than he expected. His leg was so sore and tired that he could barely stand on it anymore. He felt as if he could sleep for a year. He wondered how the hell he would manage a full day of work down the line. 

 

Iris could see how tired he was the moment she saw him when she went to pick him up from work. And when they got home, Barry didn't even want to try getting himself up the stairs; he just wheeled himself over to the couch, and moved himself onto their, propping his leg up on the coffee table. 

 

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Iris asked. 

 

"Could you possibly run up to my room and get me a pair of shorts?" he asked, apologetically. If he thought he even physically could make it up the stairs, he wouldn't have even asked her. 

 

"Of course!" she said without a second thought, before quickly disappearing up the stairs. 

 

Barry hated asking her for anything anymore. She had been doing so much for him these past two months. Even when he didn't ask her for help, she was always giving it to him with a smile. She never asked questions, and she never made a fuss. She was always there for him, no matter what. And it was killing him that there was nothing he could do for her in return. 

 

Iris broke Barry's guilty train of thought, when she dropped a pair of basket ball shorts in his lap. He hadn't even heard her come back downstairs. 

 

"I hope these are okay," she said, as she sat down on the couch next to him. 

 

"They're perfect. Thank you so much," he said gratefully, before speed changing out of his jeans and into the shorts. Speed changing was appearing to be the only thing his speed was good for anymore. 

 

"Do you mind if I take this off?" Barry asked her, referring to the cloth slip he kept over the stump. He hated not having it on around people, he felt like he was shoving his gross scarred stump in their faces. He also didn't like having the slip off in front of Iris, like having her actually see the bare stump would make her feel like she had to do even more for him or something. Or maybe it was the fact that she was seeing all of the other not so nice sides of him having one leg, and seeing it was one thing that he could keep her from seeing. He really wasn't sure, he just didn't like her seeing it. But the slip was just so damn uncomfortable at that moment, that he just needed it off. 

 

"Why would I? Of course you can take it off," she assured him. 

 

Iris watched him intently, as he carefully peeled off the cotton slip. As she watched, her mind began to drift, thinking about how all of this was becoming so normal. After his surgery, Iris had trouble imagining what their new normal would look like. But now, here they were, living their new normal. 

 

She used to wake up sometimes, forgetting that the accident ever happened. She would go downstairs to the kitchen, and turn on the coffee maker. They had an old coffee maker that beeped loudly when it finished brewing, waking up everyone in the house when it went off. Barry used to rush down the stairs the second it went off, and when he didn't, the harsh reality punched her in the gut. She used to have to have that realization almost every morning. Now, she brought Barry his coffee to his room. 

 

She used to spend half of her shower time stumbling over his shower chair. Now, she was using it to prop her legs on when she shaved. They had a place for his crutches, and they kept the wheelchair downstairs. They found ways around most everyday tasks. It was normal. This was their life now. 

 

When things began falling into place, feeling normal, Iris hoped Barry would begin to liven up again, and go back to being the person he was before the accident. But he didn't. Sure, he would make jokes here and there, and he could hold conversation and all that, but Iris could tell how truly unhappy he was. Every time she looked into his eyes, he was just... dead, and it killed her because she didn't know what to do about it. 

 

When he was done, Barry folded his jeans, and laid them on the coffee table, placing the slip on top of them, all without a single word. He was so quiet lately. 

 

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" she asked, biting her lip. Barry just shook his head, and began to massage his sore leg. 

 

"Here," Iris said, placing her hands on his, "let me."

 

"You don't have to," he mumbled, continuing to move his hands.

 

"I want to."

 

"It's really fine," he told her, finally looking up at her. 

 

"I know. But like I said." She paused, moving his hands from his leg. "I want to." She then rested her hands on his leg, not breaking eye contact. 

 

"Fine," he said hesitantly after a momentary silence. He carefully turned himself on the couch to face her, so that she wouldn't have to awkwardly crane over him. 

 

"Thank you," she said, a hint of pride in her voice that she finally convinced him. She slowly began kneading her hands into his hamstring. "How does that feel?"

 

"Good," he replied softly, as he watched her delicate fingers move.  

 

"That's good. Is the bad leg still in pain?"

 

"No," he said, almost in a whisper, mesmerized by the movement of her hands.

 

"Good," she said softly. She remembered how much pain he was in initially. Just the though made her heart ache. 

 

The two stayed silent for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Barry wishing desperately that he could do something in return for everything she's done for him. Iris wishing she could do more for him--to make him happy again. The silence was heavy, and it was one that had been falling among them often recently. They both felt it, but neither of them knew what do do about it. 

 

"Is this any better?" she asked, looking up at him with loving eyes. God he hated that look, the look that said "I care, and I'll do anything for you." The look that made his heart flutter, and his stomach sink with guilt simultaneously. 

 

"Please stop," he whispered, his voice pleading. He didn't exactly mean to say it, it just sort of came out. What he wanted to say got lost somewhere from his brain to his mouth, and what he was thinking was spit out. 

 

“I’m sorry,” she said remorsefully, quickly jerking her hands back. “Was I hurting you?” Her voice was saturated with guilt and concern, killing Barry.  

 

“No, it’s just--” he stopped mid-sentence. He was unsure of exactly what to tell her. He couldn’t tell her that felt guilty that he couldn’t do anything for her, or that every time she did something for him he fell in love with her a little more. He couldn’t. So what could he say to her?

 

Iris stared deep into his eyes, searching for answers. She could see how much pain he was in in that moment. She just wished there was something she could do for him. “Barry, talk to me,” she pleaded, taking his hand in hers.  

 

He opened his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. If he started spilling every feeling he had the last two months, he would never stop. He’d tell her something he shouldn’t have, like his feelings for her or he would make her feel guilty about something. He wanted desperately to say everything, but he knew he couldn’t. 

 

"Please," she whispered, begging him to take his guard down. She just wanted him to let her in so that she could tell him that she loved him and that everything would be okay. 

 

He sighed heavily, taking his hand back from hers, staring into her desperate eyes, praying to whatever god could possibly be out there that he could find words to say to her.

 

"Just tell me what you're thinking, Barry,” she begged one last time, lifting her hand up to his cheek, caressing it gently with her thumb. “Please.”

 

And then, he did something he never thought he would ever do. He leaned over, and he kissed her. 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Iris' first response was to freeze in place. The kiss was so unexpected. She thought that the last thing Barry would do was open up to her. But no, the last thing she expected from Barry Allen in that moment was a kiss. She knew Barry had feelings for her at one point. But they hadn't talked about it in so long that she thought they just... faded? She just assumed his feelings had gone away or something a long time ago, so when his lips pressed against hers, she panicked, and froze. 

 

 

Very quickly, however, she relaxed, allowing herself to enjoy the feeling of his kiss. He brought his hands to the nape of her neck, pulling her closer. She allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of his strong hands holding her, and feeling the warmth of his body close to hers. She let her hand cup his cheek, and feel his smooth skin as they kissed. She let herself enjoy the feeling of his lips moving against hers, passionately and desperately, in a way that seemed so familiar, yet completely new. 

 

Eventually, yet all too soon for Iris, Barry pulled away. She immediately felt the need to kiss him again, but she didn't. She wasn't exactly sure why.

 

"I love you," he whispered, resting his forehead against hers. 

 

"Barry," she began, but he interrupted her. 

 

"You've done everything for me these past two months, and I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do for you in return."

 

Iris couldn't help but smile. "Stop," she whispered, "You know I'd do anything for you. I don't care if you give me anything in return. I wouldn't do any of it if I didn't love you too."

 

* * *

 

“Stay,” Barry said, pulling Iris back towards the bed and kissing her.

 

 

“Barry, I actually have to go to work today. I have a meeting,” she said, straddling him.

 

“Skip it,” he whispered, pulling her into yet another amazing kiss. The last 18 hours since their first kiss had been pure bliss. They stayed up all night, tangled up in each other, kissing and laughing. There was nothing sexual, they were just enjoying each other. It was the first time in a long time either of them had felt truly happy, and neither of them really wanted it to end. They were in a little happy bubble, just the two of them, and they didn't want it to burst. 

 

"Trust me," she said, her hands on his chest, "I want nothing more than to spend all day here with you, but my editor might kill me if I miss anymore meetings."

 

"You can be like me and get your leg chopped off. They'll give you all the time you need," he joked. 

 

"That is so not funny," she scolded, slapping his chest. "And plus, I'll be back by noon," she continued, as she climbed off of him. She really didn't want to leave. She didn't want to step out into the real world to face reality. They didn't talk about the kiss or what it meant or anything like that, they just enjoyed each other for the night. Iris knew that if she left, they would have to face the music and talk about what had happened... what they were. And they'd have to tell her father. 

 

"Fine," Barry said dramatically. 

 

Iris quickly got dressed and got herself ready for the day, and as she was walking out of Barry's bedroom, she stopped at the doorway and turned back around. "Hey, Barry?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"I love you," she said, unable to repress her smile.

 

"I love you too."

 

And then she left

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! As always, leave comments and kudos, and let me know if there's anything you guys want to see! I really enjoy hearing what you all have to say! <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello loves! I'm so sorry for the wait school sucks. College? 10/10 would not recommend. Anyways, here's the latest chapter, it's not my best, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. Thank you so much for your patience!!

“Well it’s about damn time,” Joe exclaimed behind a stifled laugh. Of course Barry and Iris would make him a nice dinner, and tiptoe around him nervously all night only to tell him that they had begun dating. 

Iris exchanged a nervous, confused, and slightly concerned glance from the opposite side of the dinging room table, unsure of how to respond to Joe’s unexpected reaction. 

Of course, Barry knew that Joe saw him as a son, and the pair had shared countless conversations about his feelings for Iris. However, Barry knew that talking about dating Iris, and actually dating Iris were two completely different things. And he knew how protective Joe could be of his daughter, especially when it came to boys. Just look at how he reacted when Iris began dating Eddie. He threatened to pull a gun to the poor guy, and Barry was expecting a similar reaction. 

“You’re happy about this?” Iris inquired cautiously. 

“I have been watching you two dance around each other for years, what did you expect? For me to be mad?”

“Well… yeah…” Barry admitted, still unsure of how to approach Joe. 

Joe just shook his head, still laughing to himself. They both just looked so genuinely confused. When they orchestrated this whole dinner, he had expected the two of them to give him news comparable to them crashing his car like they had in high school. But no, they were so nervous because they wanted to tell him they were dating. 

“You two kill me,” Joe mumbled under his breath. “I’m surprised it took this long.” Of course he was okay with this. Barry was probably the only person on the planet he would be okay with Iris dating, and he had made that very clear over the years. And now, Barry was sitting across the table from him, looking terrified, like Joe had actually pulled a gun to his face. 

“So, you’re okay with this?” Iris asked, still shocked at how well her father was taking the news. 

Of course Joe was okay with this. Barry was probably the only person on the planet he would be okay with Iris dating, and he had made that very clear over the years. And now, Barry was sitting across the table from him, looking terrified, like Joe had actually pulled a gun to his face.

“Of course I’m okay with it,” he said, but his smile quickly faded, and he turned to face Barry, giving him a stern look. “But, let me make one thing very clear, I do not care how much of a son you have been to me, if you do anything to hurt her, a lot worse is going to happen to you than just losing your leg, you understand me?” Now, that was the reaction Barry was expecting. 

Barry just nodded silently in response, even though he knew he would never have to worry about Joe’s wrath. He would never do anything to hurt Iris. He may not have been a super hero anymore, but he would do anything to prevent Iris from ever being in pain again, and that included him breaking her heart. 

* * *

 

Barry began only visiting S.T.A.R. Labs every other week once his leg was fully recovered, and he was acclimating to life on the prosthetic. It only took him three months, but he managed. Stairs were still slow, and he still wasn’t wearing it to work, but he could wear it around the house. All he had to do was slow down, something that was proving to be very frustrating for the fastest man alive. But he was surviving. And his appointments at S.T.A.R. Labs weren’t really appointments anymore, they had turned into an excuse for Cisco, Caitlin, and Barry to hang out, even though they had begun to get together more frequently. It was still an excuse to get together, that happened to have a five minute talk about scar tissue somewhere in there. 

“How’s the job hunt?” Cisco asked Caitlin, slurping his coffee. 

Caitlin rolled her eyes at the slurping before answering. “Well, I have an interview at Mercury Labs on Tuesday, and something in Coast City next week, but we’ll see what happens.

“You want to go all the way to Coast City?” Barry asked. 

“The job market isn’t exactly kind right now, Barry. I have to take work where I can.”

“Yeah, but so far? I’m sure there are plenty of places around here that would hire you.”

“Well, not many people are willing to hire someone who helped build a particle accelerator that practically destroyed a city. And I can’t exactly put ‘The Flash’s personal assistant on my resume.” 

“Why not?” Cisco asked with a shrug. 

“Well, I’m not trying to build a tech start up.” 

“At least my resume is fun.” Caitlin just rolled her eyes again. Barry couldn’t help but feel guilty. At least they were doing something while he was The Flash. Now that he was done being a superhero, they all had to go find some other work. Caitlin was applying to jobs all around the country, and everyone knew Central City wasn’t the place for a tech start up. Barry almost felt like he was about to lose his two best friends. He made them because he was The Flash, and now he was at risk of losing them because he wasn’t. 

“Oh! Speaking of start ups! I’ll be right back!” Cisco exclaimed, before standing up, and leaving the room, disappearing god knows where into S.T.A.R. Labs. 

“Do you know where he’s going?” Barry asked. Caitlin shrugged, even though she was 90% sure he was going to get the prosthetic leg he had been working on for Barry. But she didn’t want to say that. She was going to take no part in that leg. She wasn’t going to get Barry’s hopes up over an improbability. 

Several minutes later, Cisco returned, a prosthetic leg in his hand, with a bright red bow stuck onto the shin. 

“This is for you,” he said proudly, handing it to Barry. Barry took it in his hands, and stared at it. He had seen something like this leg in the Olympics several years ago. He had countless questions running through his head. Was it just a sports leg designed for normal human speed. Or was it built to withstand The Speedforce? How did it work? Did it even work? Or was it just a model of a prototype? 

“It’s made up a poly carbon fiber, that—if my calculations are correct—should withstand at least half of your fastest speed. It’s still in t’s beta phases, so it’s not perfect, but it should get you running.”

“Seriously?” Barry asked, a wide smile spreading across his face. 

“Seriously.”

Barry didn’t respond, he just looked over at Caitlin. 

“No!” was all she said. 

“You don’t even know what I was going to ask,” Barry said, still unable to contain his excitement. 

“You’re going to ask me if you can try and run, aren’t you.”

“Can I?”

“No!” 

“Can I at least put it on and walk around in it?”

“No,” she said sternly.

“Please?”

“No."

* * *

 

“Please be careful, Barry. Start off slow,” Caitlin cautioned over the speaker, as Barry stood on the treadmill. She wasn’t entirely sure how they ended up here. Barry had sped into the prosthetic before Caitlin could stop him. Then he stood up, and Caitlin tried to stop Barry from walking, but she couldn’t. Then somehow Barry ended up on the treadmill.

Barry nodded towards the window, and then turned to face forward. He slowly began walking. This prosthetic felt a lot lighter than his other one. Cisco said he tried to make the weight as close to his real leg as possible. It felt more natural, almost like he was stepping on his real leg. 

He slowly began to pick up speed, breaking out into a brisk jog. A smile began to grow on his face as his speed went up. Caitlin felt her stomach churn. He was running a decent pace for a person without The Speedforce. She couldn’t bear the thought of Barry’s reaction if this leg wouldn’t permit him to go faster than that. She couldn’t bear seeing his heart break again.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed it! As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated! Let me know if there was anything you did/didn't like in here! The next update should be soon!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I know it's been forever since I've updated but I should be updating more regularly now that school is over! Hope you guys enjoy the chapter because it broke my heart to write

“Please be careful, Barry. Start off slow,” Caitlin cautioned over the speaker, as Barry stood on the treadmill. She wasn’t entirely sure how they ended up here. Barry had sped into the prosthetic before Caitlin could stop him. Then he stood up, and Caitlin tried to stop Barry from walking, but she couldn’t. Then somehow Barry ended up on the treadmill.

Barry nodded towards the window, and then turned to face forward. He slowly began walking. This prosthetic felt a lot lighter than his other one. Cisco said he tried to make the weight as close to his real leg as possible. It felt more natural, almost like he was stepping on his real leg. 

He slowly began to pick up speed, breaking out into a brisk jog. A smile began to grow on his face as his speed went up. Caitlin felt her stomach churn. He was running a decent pace for a person without The Speedforce. She couldn’t bear the thought of Barry’s reaction if this leg wouldn’t permit him to go faster than that. She couldn’t bear seeing his heart break again.  

Cisco was quickly growing more and more excited as Barry’s speed went up. 50 miles per hour… 60… 80... 

“Okay, Barry, you’re at 100 miles per hour now,” Caitlin said over the microphone. It was nowhere near his fastest, but my god he was running. He was still The Flash, and it made even the hesitant Caitlin excited. 

Barry knew he could go faster, and so he did. The numbers went up… 125… 160… 175.

Right at 200, there was a snap, and Barry flew backwards off the treadmill, flying into the wall. 

“Fuck!” Barry cried out, but not because of the pain that came with him crashing into the wall. It was more out of frustration. This fancy leg that Cisco had built him had snapped like a twig. This leg was supposed to make him run again, which it did. But Barry didn’t just want to run: he wanted to be The Flash. Perhaps it was time to accept his fate. 

“Barry! Are you okay?” Caitlin cried, rushing to Barry’s side, scanning over his body for any wounds, invading his personal space like she always did. He hadn’t even noticed Caitlin come in with Cisco, who had already picked up the broken off piece of the prosthetic and began mumbling to himself about ways to rebuild it. But Barry knew that it didn’t matter. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, as he sat up on the ground.

Caitlin helped Barry stand up, while Cisco left the room, still rambling incoherently to himself. 

* * *

 

Joe sat at the dining room table with a cup of coffee and some case files. He typically didn’t like bringing work home with him, but with The Flash gone, The Metahuman Taskforce at the CCPD was busy, and he was forced to take a few home here and there. 

Joe barely even flinched when Barry came in, walking awkwardly on his prosthetic, sulking. Maybe a month ago, Joe would have sat down and talked with him, but at this point, it was normal. Joe found it better to just leave him be for a few minutes and then talk to him. He usually went upstairs and stayed there for a while until Iris got home, if she wasn’t already. then he would emerge a little while later and be fine, or at least better. Joe chose not to think about what went on in those few minutes, even though the reality was that they just sat and talked about their days. 

Today however, Barry didn’t take his usual, slow trek up the stairs. He saw Joe in the dining room, and did his awkward hobble over to the table, sitting directly across from Joe. 

“You know Iris is home, right?” Joe said, taking a sip of his coffee. 

“Yeah, I saw her in car,” Barry said, staring down at the table taking a deep breath. 

“Oh no,” Joe said, putting his mug down. 

“What?”

“You’ve got that look that says ‘I’ve got some bad stuff to tell you.’” Joe also didn’t want to mention how Iris wasn’t the first person Barry wanted to see when he got home in months. 

“How do you know it’s going to be bad?”

“Barry, I have been raising you since you were 11 years old. I know you. Now spill it.”

Barry sighed heavily before speaking. “I think we need to tell people that The Flash isn’t coming back."

“He’s not gone, Barry. You’re still The Flash,” Joe pointed out. Though he only had one leg, Joe knew that Barry would still care for the city and protect it. He was still a hero, and Central City could still believe in him.

“Yeah, but they can’t depend on me like they used to,” Barry  said, his heart laying heavy in his chest. “People are still waiting for me to come back. Every time there’s a crime, people are waiting for me to speed in like I used to and that’s just not a possibility anymore. And every time I don’t show up, every time I don’t save someone, people get more worried and start asking more questions. I think the citizens of Central City deserve to know what happened to their hero."

“Okay so let’s say you make an announcement that there’s no more Flash,” Joe proposed. Barry had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He didn’t want a lecture right now. “Then what happens? There’s going to be all these crazy metas running free because they know officially that no one can stop them. Who is going to be their hero then?”

“There are other good metas in Central City. We’ve met them. I’m sure someone will step up. And plus, the CCPD is getting better at handling metas everyday. I just can’t give people hope that I can’t fulfill."

* * *

 

Two days later, the mayor prepared a press conference in the middle of the park in Central City, exactly where The Flash had received his key to the city not too long ago. The city was buzzing ever since they had heard that The Flash was speaking. Some were happy that they were finally seeing their hero again. Others were skeptical, wondering why he was holding a press conference, especially after so long being gone. He rarely made public appearances, much less spoke in public. Central City Picture News’ reporter Iris West always spoke on his behalf. What was so special that was bringing him out now? 

Whatever it was, people wanted to know about it. Everyone in the city was there. From small children, to senior citizens, everyone wanted to hear what The Flash had to say. Every news station and newspaper had their best reporters on the scene. The crowd was loud as everyone was trying to figure out why The Flash had brought them here. The only thing that silenced the crowd was the mayor walking up on the stage. The murmurs died down as he walked up to the podium in the middle of the stage. 

The mayor tried to hide his solemn feelings. He knew what The Flash was going to say, but he didn’t want to make people to know his feelings on the subject. Truthfully, he was upset. He felt like he had lost a friend now that The Flash was no longer going to be around. The Flash had saved him more than a few times, and he had to save City Hall even more. Every time the man in the red suit found himself in the mayor’s workplace, he would stop by and say a (very quick) “hello” and a fast little “keep up the good work." He never stayed for conversation or anything, but The Flash always made a point to be a friendly face wherever he went. And the major appreciated it—no he admired it. But that would be gone now that the speedster was hanging up his suit. 

The looked over the crowd quickly, taking in their faces one last time before they lost hope, before speaking. “After a long time gone, I am pleased to welcome back, everyone’s hero: The Flash!” The mayor had to be as optimistic as he could. He was their leader, he had to seem unfazed by this all. 

Everyone cheered at the sound of their hero’s name being called. It made Barry want to vomit as he began to climb the steps to the stage. He was wearing his famous red suit, with a few modifications. They had hemmed the right leg so that it could be tucked into the prosthetic. They tried figuring out a way to get the suit over the prosthetic, but nothing seemed to work. The suit was made to fit his body, and any modifications to his body made it just look… off. The boot was falling over, and the fabric was stretching in weird ways of the prosthetic. And it wasn’t worth it to make any serious modifications to the suit because it’s not like it was going to be worn again. So they hemmed the leg off and left the prosthetic exposed. Barry wasn’t sure how he felt about that but it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. And in ten minutes how the suit looked wouldn’t matter. 

The second The Flash stepped on the stage, the cheers and screams were replaced with a dead silence. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the speedster slowly walking across the stage and a few shutters of a camera. No one knew what to say. What could they? Their hero had lost his leg.

After what felt like forever for Barry, he finally reached the podium. He quickly scanned the sea of disappointed people, and gripped the edges of it nervously. 

“Citizens of Central City,” he began. He was still vibrating his vocal chords. He didn’t know why though, it’s not like hiding his identity really mattered anymore. “I hoped I would never have to make an announcement like this but unfortunately, my days as The Flash are over. As you can tell, I lost my leg. I did it trying to save the people of this city.” He paused, feeling his eyes well up with tears. “From the moment I discovered my ability to run at super speeds, I knew I wanted to use that ability to help you all. And now that I can’t, I feel like I have let you all down… I’m sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! I hope you liked it! As always feel free to leave comments on what you liked/didn't and if there's anything else you want to see! Thank you for reading xxx


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